Lanza Trivia Question Time: New Round

[Derek McGovern]

I thought I'd start a new thread for the next round of trivia questions, as the previous one contained a record number of posts to scroll through!

Here's an easy (?) question to start with:

On the attached four-second recording, Lanza gives his best British butler imitation. What was the occasion? 

[Steff]

Hi Derek,

    This was an excerpt of Mario's very last interview in Rome (recorded in September 1959) with Peter Lind Hayes.

 

    Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff

Spot on! That was indeed an extract from Lanza's (rather boozy!) final interview, recorded at the Villa Badoglio sometime in September 1959. Contrary to the claims of a couple of biographers, it wasn't recorded on the 29th or 30th of September, but rather at some point in the month before September 25th, which is when Lanza entered the Valle Giulia Clinic.  

And now a new trivia question!

On what song that Lanza re-recorded does he pronounce one of the title words differently on his second (released) version?

[Michael McAdam]

Something jumped out of my cranium RAM ;-) right away:

Summertime in Heidelberg?

Mike

[Derek McGovern]

No, I wasn't thinking of Summertime in Heidelberg, Mike. Sorry! In fact, I wasn't even aware there was a difference between Mario's two versions of that song, except, perhaps, a slightly more American "r" on "Heidelberg" on the 1959 version. The difference I'm thinking of is a lot less subtle than that :) 

Keep plugging away!

Cheers

Derek    

[Michael McAdam]

If everyone else is staying away here because I got lucky with my blind stabs...don't be worried!

My win on the last Trivia outing was akin to mating elephants (but didn't take quite as long? :).

Okay, here goes: I can think of two or three candidates in Lanza's Italian/Neapolitan discography but,  staying with The Student Prince, Guadeamus Igitur would be pretty obvious. He changes the title pronunciation quite 'non-subtly' here; making the "g" in "IGitur" hard in one recording and gives us a soft "Idge-itur" in the other recording (or vice-versa). Da?

Mike 

[leeann]

Mike, before I read your post, I was stuck on the trivia question. Really stuck.

Now, I'm just stuck on elephants. Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Mike's done it again! The answer is indeed Gaudeamus Igitur.

Apparently, Mario follows so-called Classical Latin pronunciation rules on his 1952 recording and Church (or Ecclesiastical) Latin pronunciation on the 1959 version. Both are considered valid.

Congratulations also to (non-member) Fred Day, who emailed me yesterday with the correct answer.

Cheers
Derek

[Steff]

 

Hi Derek,

 

Interesting that the reason for Mario's different pronounciation of "gi" was the distinction between classical

and Ecclesiastical Latin. I was aware of the difference but I always thought that singers -especially the

native Italians-  would simply pronounce  "gi" as they know it from the Italian language 

(BTW, it is similar with the "gn" in "Agnus Dei," eccles. pronounciation in Mario's HB version).

 

 

Incidentally, the following link shows a good overview of the Ecclesiatical Latin pronounciation:

 

http://www.canticanova.com/latin_pron.htm

 

Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff

Thanks for the link.

I studied Latin at high school---in fact, I was the only student taking it in my final year; that's how unpopular it was!---and my ancient teacher always insisted on the hard "g," as on the "igitur" in Mario's first recording of that song. (Coincidentally, "Gaudeamus Igitur" was my high school's official song, and we had to sing it weekly. Needless to say, I'm not very keen on it!) My teacher felt that "Classical" Latin pronunciation was the only correct method, although there is some dispute among scholars as to whether the ancient Romans actually used it.

Anyway, I can certainly understand why Lanza went for the Church pronunciation on his later recording, and I'm pleased he also used it on "Agnus Dei." Much easier on the ears!

Cheers

Derek   

[Derek McGovern]

New trivia question! This one is from Armando:

Who said this?

“I remember playing through a heap of new releases and suddenly hearing a real voice, a voice of power and quality, the voice of the unknown Mario Lanza. I introduced the record [Be My love] in my next broadcast and listeners wrote to me in their hundreds to express their pleasure.”

[Michael McAdam]

A quick, off-the-top guess: Hedda Hopper?

Mike

[leeann]

Hmm, that sounds very plausible.

Here's a still quick,  two-click, almost off-the-top guess: Wilfred Thomas.

The fast track that got me there:  audio interviews on the website include a 1958 interview with British/Australian singer and journalist, Wilfred Thomas. Then I travelled to the National Library of Australia's magnificent searchable online catalog packed with digitized materials, and learned there that Thomas's radio show was at least broadcast throughout most of the 1950s.

And so, I'd guess Wilfred Thomas is possible. Best, Lee Ann

[Steff]

 

Hi Derek,

 

I too, studied Latin at high school (“Gymnasium”), in fact it was the first foreign language I had to learn (English only two years later and last but not least, French)  at the age of ten.  After 7 years, I automatically achieved the Latin Proficiency Certificate. We had to struggle with a lot of “De bello Gallico” which did not really increase my interest in this language.

 

The only “dispute” I remember regarding the pronunciation was how the “c” (like in “Caesar”) was to be pronounced.

 

Incidentally, two sayings will always remain in my memory: “Ceterum censeo Carthaghinem delendam esse” and the absolute classic when it comes to verse intonation (metre): “Ut desint vires tamen es laudanda voluntas.”

 

I think, and I hope I am not mistaken, that German singers usually use the classical Latin pronunciation, the reason night me that it is equivalent to the German pronunciation as far as there is the same letter string (at least this would be the case for “igitur” and “agnus”). Unlike you, I prefer the classical pronunciation, but then again it simply is the sound  that I have been familiar with since my school days.

 

Steff

 

 

[Derek McGovern]

Lee Ann: Congratulations! Singer/broadcaster Wilfrid (note the unusual spelling!) Thomas is indeed the answer!

(Back tomorrow with elaboration)

Cheers
Derek

[Derek McGovern]

That Wilfrid Thomas statement that Lee Ann so cleverly deduced as his was broadcast on BBC Radio on October 3rd, 1962. Thomas, of course, had interviewed Lanza four and a half years earlier during the latter's final tour.

What an interesting fellow Thomas was, according to his Wikipedia entry! He was an accomplished bass-baritone, broadcaster, and writer who lived a long life, and was active to the end---even helping out when a disastrous earthquake struck Naples in 1980 (and was later knighted as a "cavaliere" by the Italian government for his efforts). 

I see too that, starting in 1951, he did his London broadcasting from his Mayfair flat! I wonder if that's where his interview with Lanza was conducted? Certainly, Mario sounds very relaxed in their conversation together (Perhaps a little too relaxed! :))  

Here's a photo of Thomas:

New trivia question to follow!

Cheers

Derek

P.S. Steff: What an impressive training in Latin you had! I wasn't the world's greatest Latin student myself, but the language did give me a solid grounding for my later Spanish and Italian studies (as well as improving my understanding of English grammar).

I don't mind the Classical Latin hard "g" sound on "igitur" (which is how we pronounced it at school), but I definitely prefer the Church/Ecclesiastical pronunciation on something like the "Agnus" in Agnus Dei. "Ag-nus dei"? No thank you! :)   

[Derek McGovern]

OK! New question! (And Fred Day, if you're reading this, I already know you know the answer!)

On what Lanza recording of an English-language song does the arrangement begin (oddly enough!) with a snatch of melody from a famous tenor aria? 

[Derek McGovern]

P.S. You should also identify the aria!

[Steff]

Hi Derek,

 

I guess this is the song "My Buddy" and the aria is "La dolcissima effigie" from Cilea's

"Adriana Lecouvreur."

 

Steff

 

On what Lanza recording of an English-language song does the arrangement begin (oddly enough!with a snatch of melody from a famous tenor aria? 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff

Yes to both answers! Well done!

Cheers

Derek

[Steff]

 

   Derek,

 

   I forgot to mention that it was on the Coke Show .... :)

 

   Steff

[Derek McGovern]

God knows what those Coke Show arrangers were thinking when they added the Cilea melody!

I can see that my next question will have to be more difficult :)

[Steff]

 

Hi Derek,

 

I agree with you. And it is interesting that they chose an aria that Mario never recorded (and

a pity that he never did!)

 

Steff

[Barnabas Nemeth]

It's clear, this from the Adriana Leucevreur. Barnabas

2012/12/4 Steff <Stefanie....@t-online.de>

[Derek McGovern]

I've been rushed off my feet today, so I haven't had time to devise a diabolically difficult trivia question yet. This will have to do in the meantime:

In what popular play of the 1990s does an aspiring tenor perform "Recondita Armonia" as a tribute to his hero, Mario Lanza?      

[Steff]

Hi Derek,

 

In a hurry too, but wanna win the trophy! :)

 

I guess it is "Master class" by Terrence Mc Nally.

 

Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Oh, Steff, what are we going to do with you? Right again!

In the 1995 play Master Class, a young tenor named Tony performs "Recondita Armonia" for a rather critical Maria Callas. "It was for Mario Lanza," he tells Callas. "I'm sorry. I love Mario Lanza. He's my hero. So kill me." Callas replies: "You haven't done your homework, Tony." 

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

New question!

What was Lanza's highest *recorded* note, and on what piece of music does he sing it?

[Michael McAdam]

Steff,

Meine liebe mädchen von Freiburg im Breisgau : what do you do all day, girl? :)

Mike

[Muriel]

Hi - I'll say it was the D flat in the Addio from the Rigoletto Quartet he sang with Mary Jane Smith in the second Hollywood Bowl concert.  He sang it again in a film, but I'm too sleepy to think of which one.........sigh

That might be too easy, though..........

[leeann]

Well, I was really hoping someone with more musical knowledge than I have would hop on this one! 

I love this recording and play it again and again: a D flat sung in  "E Il sol dell'anima...Addio, Addio." It appears on the disc accompanying Armando's American Tragedy  and on the website. Derek's notes point out that  "Singing with great sensitivity and beauty of tone, he makes a superb Duke."  Although Derek does point out that he somewhat drowns out the soprano, Mary Jane Smith! My questions: is it written as a D flat? Do most tenors tend to take it?

As the two protagonists, the Duke and Gilda, declare their love for each other,  their declaration  doesn't seem to portend the tragedy to follow. And while the libretto is poetic and intense, the music is not, but full of the joy of that first discovery of romance.

È il sol dell'anima, la vita è amore,
Sua voce è il palpito del nostro core.
E fama e gloria, potenza e trono,
Umane, fragili qui cose sono,
Una pur avvene sola, divina:
È amor che agl'angeli più ne avvicina!
Adunque amiamoci, donna celeste;
D'invidia agli uomini sarò per te.

[The duke and Gilda continue to declare their love; but, learning that her father is about to arrive, Gilda sends the Duke away and the Addio, Addio begins...]

Addio... speranza ed anima
Sol tu sarai per me.
Addio... vivrà immutabile
L'affetto mio per te.

[leeann]

Yike, Muriel. I think our posts crossed! So, even tired, this one's easy for you :-).  No surprises there! Best, Lee Ann

[Muriel]

Or, did he sing with Mary Jane Smith in the third concert????  I'm not up to par with my Lanza history.

[Muriel]

Hi Lee Ann - Thank you for the  lyrics - I could  not do that, as I need much more practise on the computer. Maybe you can give me a few lessons?? 

[Derek McGovern]

Muriella and Lee Ann: Congratulations! That is indeed a D-flat above high C that Mario sings on both of his versions of the "Addio, Addio!" (third Hollywood Bowl concert, with Mary Jane Smith clucking away in the background, and in 1951 for Because You're Mine, with Peggy Bonini)---and it's the highest recorded note we have from him. He actually goes a bit flat on both versions, but who cares? I've just listened to a ton of "Addio, Addio!"s from Pavarotti, Di Stefano, Alagna, Fisichella, Raimondi, Florez et al, and no one sounds quite as comfortable or exciting on the note as Lanza (in fact, Alagna doesn't even take it). Now that surprised me, especially in the case of Pavarotti, who's so renowned for his upper register.

Did Verdi write it as a high D-flat? No, he wrote it a whole octave lower! In fact, from a quick look at the vocal score just now, the highest note I could find during the duet for the Duke is a "mere" high A. (Correct me if I'm wrong, anybody.)  

Cheers

Derek   

[Derek McGovern]

New trivia question:

According to one of Lanza's conductors, the tenor's singing once affected the first violinist (or concertmaster) so deeply that he was reduced to tears by the end of the rendition. What was the song or aria---and what was the occasion?      

[Michael McAdam]

Aw Kiwi,

This one's too easy (in contrast to that awfully hard 'broadcaster' one a few questions back).

I'll bow out and give someone else a chance :-)

Mike

[Derek McGovern]

It's only easy if you know the answer, young Mike :) Besides, for those who don't know the story (and I'm willing to bet that there are more than a few here), there are probably numerous Lanza renditions that would seemingly fit the bill!         

[norma]

On Friday, December 7, 2012 1:50:08 PM UTC, Derek McGovern wrote:
> It's only easy if you know the answer, young Mike :) Besides, for those who don't know the story (and I'm willing to bet that there are more than a few here), there are probably numerous Lanza renditions that would seemingly fit the bill!         

Dear Derek,
Is it Ave Maria ?
Norma

[Derek McGovern]

No, Norma, it's not "Ave Maria" (though, for all I know, Lanza's singing of both versions may have similarly affected those who were present). Sorry!

[leeann]

So, Mike thinks this is too easy. Now, Mike's an expert on all kinds of things, but really stellar, I'd say, on The Student Prince, given his remarkable sound engineering on that CD. So, I COULD be something from The Student Prince.

Then, too, when Lanza sang with the Rome Opera Orchestra for the film For the First Time, the response from the musicians was extraordinary, so it COULD be something from that, including his exceptional  "Vesti la giubba."

BUT there are innumerable songs so excruciatingly beautiful and expressive, narrowing this one down is difficult. And there are numerous possibilities from the Hollywood Bowl right through that last film where awe and wonder from the concertmaster wouldn't be a surprise at all. (For me, "Che gelida manina" is one where I can't even breath when listening.)

So, as one of the "[perhaps] more than a few who don't know the story," I'm going to go with "Vesti la Giubba," just in hope of more clues or a correct answer from somebody! Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lee Ann: No, it wasn't one of Lanza's many renditions of "Vesti la Giubba" that produced those tears (though I'd be surprised if his best renditions of that aria didn't often move the orchestras with whom he recorded or performed it). And nor is it "The Lord's Prayer," in case anyone's wondering about the recollection of one of the violinists who played on the Coke Show version ("earth-shaking, just earth-shaking").

See, Mike: not so easy after all! :) 

Cheers

Derek    

[norma]

I think I read somewhere that it was a song from The Student Prince- perhaps Serenade?
Norma

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: No, it's not the "Serenade"---or in fact anything from The Student Prince. Sorry!

Cheers

Derek

[leeann]

This one seems kind of difficult to narrow down. At least, if you don't have any idea. What if we played reverse quiz for a minute with Yes/No answers?

1. Is the song sung in English?
2. Did the event happen before 1956?
3. Is the recording from a film?

So, just in case it wouldn't be too much of a hint to answer any or all of these questions, MAYBE that would help :-)  Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

OK, I'll play reverse quiz :)

 

The answers are:

 

1/ No.

2/ Yes

3/ Yes

 

There you go! Guess at will!

 

Cheers

Derek 

[leeann]

Guess at will? Willy-nilly, more like it.

HOWEVER, I do wish I'd phrased the date part of the question "before 1955..." since this still leaves Serenade on the table; and the choices from that film alone are plausible and overwhelming.

But, pushed by the power of suggestion from the Madame Sans-Gêne thread, how about "Amor ti Vieta?"

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lee Ann: No, it's not Amor Ti Vieta, though I can certainly understand what made you choose it! (I think I would have been dabbing my eyes too if I'd been present.) What's not generally known about that recording, however, is that although the session included arias sung with the orchestra, Amor Ti Vieta wasn't one of them. That aria was actually recorded with Jakob Gimpel on the piano---presumably because it was intended for a recital sequence, rather than a staged opera scene, as it ended up in the movie. The orchestra was overdubbed at a later date.

Any more guesses, or should I offer a hint? :)

Cheers
Derek

[leeann]

What fascinating information to have and know!

One more guess, just picking one that moves me every time,  then I'd better pay attention to my day job and stay tuned for other people's guesses! Hints are always welcome!

How about "Mamma Mia, Che vo' Sape?"

[norma]

Is it Celeste Aida?
Norma

[Derek McGovern]

No, it's not "Mamma Mia, Che Vo' Sape?" or "Celeste Aida"! 

Big hint: Its composer was still alive when Lanza first performed this piece. 

 

[Lou]

Is it "È la Solita Storia" from Serenade? Its composer, Francesco Cilea, was still alive (he died in 1950) when Lanza first sang this aria in 1948 in Toronto (my favorite version by any singer).

Lou

[Derek McGovern]

Go to the top of the class, Lou! It was indeed the Serenade version of "È la Solita Storia" aka Lamento di Federico. Now aren't you glad you popped back in? :)

Armando interviewed Serenade conductor Ray Heindorf in 1977, and in his book recounts the latter's recollection of the entire orchestra giving a standing ovation after Lanza's rendition, which was done in a single take. Not mentioned in Armando's book, but also related by Heindorf was the conductor's memory of Lanza's rendition reducing the first violinist to tears.

Of course, it wasn't the only time that Lanza had that affect on his listeners; George London mentioned in a letter to Armando that he often witnessed concert audiences moved to tears by his friend and colleague's singing.

The Lamento itself is one of those rare arias that remains extremely popular while the opera it comes from, L'Arlesiana (The Woman from Arles), is virtually unknown. (Even Domingo mentions in his 1983 autobiography that he has never heard any of the other music from this opera.) Interestingly, the staging of this aria in Serenade was originally going to include the brief singing of the Shepherd boy l'Innocente that precedes the Act II Lamento. (The dozing l'Innocente repeats a line from a shepherd's heartbreaking story first heard in Act I concerning a brave little goat that tries vainly to fend off a hungry wolf.) In fact, the boy's solo was even recorded (in late October 1955, three and a half months after Lanza's rendition of the Lamento), and in all likelihood was filmed. What a shame the boy's solo, and of course the first minute or so of the aria itself, ended up being cut from the final print!

Here's a synopsis of the opera for anyone who's interested:

http://opera.stanford.edu/Cilea/LArlesiana/synopsis.html

Cheers

Derek

[leeann]

Another fanfare. Yay, Lou.

Just a quick one--it's terribly interesting that answers to these questions and threads such as Madame Sans-Gêne highlight new information and research from Derek and Armando about Lanza--not the least of which includes more insight into his choice of repertoire. Not exactly lollipops, as Derek pointed out--in either classical or non-classical categories. And for me, anyway, these discussions point to exploring music and opera from different points of view. Thanks, Derek!  Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lee Ann: So glad you're enjoying all the unexpected journeys these trivia questions keep leading us on :)

And now it's time for a new trivia question!

We recently discussed Lanza's highest recorded note here---but what of his lowest? Putting aside the audition scene in The Toast of New Orleans, in which he momentarily confuses the character played by Richard Hageman into thinking he's a baritone---on which two complete renditions of a song and/or aria do we hear Lanza's lowest recorded note?

If you can name the note, so much the better, but to win this question you simply have to identify the two recordings. 

And this may help:

http://www.thevirtualpiano.com/

Just click on "load virtual piano," and you'll have a fun instrument at your disposal that enables you to identify any note in Lanza's impressive range. Hours of entertainment! :)

Cheers

Derek      

[Derek McGovern]

P.S. Just to clarify (and without wishing to give away too much :)), the low B-flat that Lanza reaches in the audition scene in Toast is actually his lowest recorded note, but the focus of this trivia question is his recordings of a complete song and/or aria.    

[Michael McAdam]

"Easy when you know the answer?". Yes. I didn't want to give away the answer to the Lamento quiz question because, in addition to having answered two questions in a row a while back (somewhat dubiously on one of them, I might add :) I had, fortuitously it would seem, recently re-read a previous Forum comment by Armando; the one where he relates Heindorf's recollection of his Concertmaster's emotional response to Lanza's heartrending singing here. Good answer, Lou. Congrats! Had you read that same account?

For this quiz, I would say the two recordings containing his lowest recorded note (a D Natural ) were the two takes of Nessun Dorma for Serenade. That being said, that's not a particularly low note. Also, knowing our wily Moderator I would think that we may have to dig a little deeper? :)

Mike

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Mike: No, it's not "Nessun Dorma," though that D is certainly nothing to sneeze at (being one of the lower written notes in the standard tenor repertoire).

Cheers
Derek

[Steff]

 

Hi Derek,

 

What about "You'll Never Walk Alone?"

 

Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Well done, Steff! The 1956 version of You'll Never Walk Alone is one of the two "lowest note" recordings. So what's the other?

[Steff]

Hi Derek,

 

Hmmm, I thought you meant one and the same song but only two different recordings.

Well, then I add this one: "Love Me Tonight" because this was my very first thought.

 

Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Sorry for the confusion, Steff. Yes, two recordings---and not of the same song or aria---was how I should have worded it.

No, the other recording isn't "Love Me Tonight."

Have you managed to work out how low the lowest note on "You'll Never Walk Alone" is? :)

Cheers
Derek

[Steff]

 

   Low C???????

   But please don't have me sing the song!      :) 

[Derek McGovern]

Yes, that note's a C3---a C one octave below middle C (or two octaves below a tenor's high C). Some reserve the term "low C" for the note an octave lower again (C2)---a note that only true basses can reach---but from a tenor's perspective the C3 is definitely a low C! 

So no takers for the other "lowest note" Lanza recording? I was expecting a few people to nominate "Ideale," since the key Lanza sings it in is true baritone territory, but the depth in his voice here is deceptive: he never goes below a D on that recording (the same note as he reaches on "Nessun Dorma," when he repeats the title words at the beginning of the aria). 

This chart's useful for showing the typical ranges of male and female voices. Bear in mind, of course, that Lanza's range exceeded what's shown here (and at both the lower and upper ends):

   

Cheers

Derek

[Steff]

 

Hi Derek,

 

What about "Begin the Beguine?

 

Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Sorry, Steff: The lowest note Lanza sings on "Begin the Beguine" is a slightly shaky D :)

Cheers

Derek

[leeann]

Hi, Derek--I recalled that Lanza's "Do You Remember" recorded on the Cavalcade of Show Tunes album reaches baritonal depths as he moves through the lines, "...will you remember this d-a-a-a-ay."  (And as it turns out and in the interests of full disclosure, you and Mike had talked about this once, so if this is the answer, I'm really more a ventriloquist here.)

I'd guess, though, that Lanza gave us a low C and MAYBE even a low B? Part of the reason this seems reasonable is that he's working with an entire phrase here--not just a single note. Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

"Will You Remember" it is! 

Until I checked the recording out on that online piano, I wondered if Lanza had reached a B as well. He's really in his boots here! But, no, on closer inspection, it is a C (albeit a not very precise one :)). 

Well done!!!

Cheers

Derek

 

[leeann]

It takes a village for some of these questions...:-) 

I'm especially appreciating having concrete examples to listen to of Lanza's highest and lowest recorded notes and then the keyboard visuals to pin them to. Imagine the unrecorded or extemporaneous glass-shattering, boot-shaking notes that may still reverberate somewhere in the cosmos. Best, Lee Ann

 

[Michael McAdam]

Good on ya, Sheila! :)

A friend of mine was just talking about that oldie-but-goodie from "Maytime" in an email the other day. 

Lee Ann, you're a clever gal.

I detect that Lanza's "...day-ay" is actually A Flat - B Flat as I follow along on the guitar. 

Man, he is in great voice on this CD/LP (I have both). Think I'll listen to it while I update a customer Website here.

If our tricky Moderator had You'll Never Walk Alone as the other low-note entry of the two in the Quiz, he couldn't have meant the one from the ever-maligned and verboten "Broadway" album, surely? Nah...he wouldn't do that (that sorry recording would never even get close to my Stereo system! :)

Mike

[Derek McGovern]

Hey Mike: I don't want to disparage the tuning on your guitar, my young friend, but I don't hear a low A-flat, let alone a B-flat, on "Will you remember this day-ay"!  Using this trusty virtual piano as my aid, I hear Mario doing a glide from C# down to C on "day-ay." Check it out on the virtual piano! (And for anyone else who wants to do the same, I'm attaching a good quality copy of the recording to listen along with. That's the second C# and C from the left on the virtual piano keyboard. You don't need to be able to read music to have fun with this!)

Couldn't agree with you more about Lanza's terrific vocal form on the 1956 Cavalcade album, Mike. And I'm very proud that we managed to persuade BMG UK to release the whole thing, and on the same CD as the Serenade soundtrack, no less! (Sadly, that CD seems to have been deleted from BMG's catalogue now---it's been forever "temporarily out of stock" on Amazon.com, where it was previously a very expensive import at $26---though it's available secondhand, I see, from Amazon.co.uk's marketplace sellers for a reasonable £3.78.) 

I suspect that Lanza is the only singer who could ever make me enjoy the musty "Will You Remember?" (and quite a few other dated songs on the Cavalcade album, for that matter!). As I wrote in the CD liner notes, his passion and exuberance sell that warhorse. And what a virtuoso vocal display! He covers a tone shy of two octaves on this recording---from that low C up to a high B-flat. Pretty impressive stuff, even if purists may disapprove of how he reaches those low notes! (That's even a semitone more than the range required on the challenging "Nessun Dorma," with its D to high B span.) 

Sorry I included a recording from the infamous Lanza on Broadway album in this latest trivia challenge---that really wasn't playing fair :)  

Cheers

Derek  

[Derek McGovern]

New trivia question!

Which of Lanza's conductors also worked on one of famed rock band The Beatles' most celebrated albums?

[Steff]

Hi Derek,

 

Not sure, but what about composer/conductor Ennio Morricone? But then again, did he conduct at Mario's recording sessions for the "Mario!" album? I think he "only" did the arrangements for some of the songs of the album.

 

Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff: No, it wasn't Ennio Morricone; he never conducted any of Lanza's recordings. (In fact, it's quite possible that they never met.) However, Morricone did play an important role on at least three of Lanza's albums, arranging seven of the songs on Mario!, four on Caruso Favorites, and five on The Vagabond King.

Hint: Lanza worked with a lot of conductors over the course of his adult performing and recording career (1942-1959), and many of these collaborations were (sadly) never recorded. But that's not the case here! 

Does that help? :)

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Just harking back to the previous trivia question for a moment (Lanza's lowest recorded note in a complete song or aria), I've just heard from Mike, who's currently without a functioning PC. Mike would like to clarify one thing: he wasn't referring to notes when he wrote earlier that on the line "Will you remember this day" Lanza goes from an A-flat to a B-flat on "day-ay"---he had meant to say that he was referring to chords (A-flat down to B-flat, as heard when he played along with the recording on his guitar). 

And, as Mike points out, on "day-ay," Lanza actually goes from a D# down to a D (not C# to a C). I just checked, and he's absolutely right. How could I have misheard that? (I'm putting my faulty hearing and my temporary loss of musical logic down to conducting too many oral exams at my university last week :)) However, I still stand by my original contention that Lanza reaches a low C on this recording---it just that it happens on the word "Will"---not "day"---on the same line . 

Cheers

Derek     

[Steff]

Hi Derek,

 

Your remark "But that's not the case here!" sounds as if we can be MOST fortunate that we have a recording of Mario with this conductor (reading between the lines). Maybe your hint does not refer to a studio recording but rather to a live recording??? Maybe a complete concert??? Hollywood Bowl 1947???

 

Hmmm, what about Eugene Ormandy?

 

Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Hee hee.

Sorry, Steff: it's not Eugene Ormandy! 

Cheers

Derek 

[Derek McGovern]

By the way, it's a shame Mike's not able to participate due to PC problems, as I'm sure he would enjoy this one. 

[Derek McGovern]

This should help you with the current trivia question. Here's a list I
compiled today of the 27(!) known conductors with whom Lanza either
performed or recorded (or both).

Hmm, it's sobering to think that despite some of these gentlemen being
several decades older than Mario, just one conductor---Vladimir
Bakaleinikoff (1885-1953)---failed to outlive him.

And it's interesting that eleven of the 27 conductors died in the
1980s. What a lethal decade! I see too the most recently deceased is
Carlo Savina (2002), who conducted four of the For the First Time
selections, while Lanza's arch-nemesis, Boris Goldovsky, was one of
the two longest-lived :)

Franco Ferrara (1911-1985)
Paul Baron (1910-1985)
Constantine Callinicos (1913-1986)
Ray Heindorf (1908-1980)
John Green (1908-1989)
Ray Sinatra (1904-1980)
Peter Herman Adler (1899-1990)
Henri Rene (1906-1993)
George Stoll (1905-1985)
Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985)
Paul Scherman (1907-1996)
Irving Aaronson (1895-1963)
Carlo Savina (1919-2002)
Georges Sébastian (1903-1989)
Sylvan Levin (1903-1996)
Boris Goldovsky (1908-2001)
Walter Herbert (1898-1975)
Tauno Hannikainen (1896-1968)
Leo Kopp (c.1905-1985)
Vladimir Golschmann (1893-1972)
Allard de Ridder (1887-1966)
Miklós Rózsa (1907-1995)
Albert P. Stewart (1906-1989)
Vladimir Bakaleinikoff (1885-1953)
Giacomo Spadoni (1883-1960)
Charles Previn (1888-1973)
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

[Steff]

Okay Derek,

 

Let me continue my "solo-play" here.  :)

I read your list and had made one myself but I see I had missed a few.

Looking at the list my eye caught Paul Scherman immediately.

My googling tells me that he was the violinist of The Beatle's recording of the

song: "Within You, Without You" from the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

 

Am I FINALLY correct?????

 

Steff

 

 

 

[Derek McGovern]

Yes, Steff!! You got it!! Well done.

Cheers
Derek

[Derek McGovern]

New trivia question!

Can you identify the two songs mentioned in this anecdote?  

Mario asked us if we knew the song that he was singing on a record that was playing. No, we hadn't heard it before, so leaning very close, he began to translate into English the meaning of the song. "This part says he loves her passionately," Mario sighed deeply. . . . Mario rolled his eyes soulfully and continued: "He says, 'I love you and need you.'" He put his hand to his heart, finished translating the words and gave another big sigh. As this romantic song finished, another---sadder one---began to play. With this, Mario placed his head in his hands and began to sob loudly.

[Lou]

Hi Derek: In your September 3, 2010 post in the "Lanza the person" thread, you presume that the two songs were Tu Ca Nun Chiagne and Na Sera 'e Maggio, in that order. I presume your presumptions are correct!

Cheers,
Lou

[Derek McGovern]

Oh, Lou, you clever thing!!

You know, I did a search through the forum (not thoroughly enough, obviously!) before I posted that question, as I couldn't recall whether I'd identified the songs before. All I found was a reference to the anecdote, and no identification of the songs themselves. Oh well! 

Yes, I'm now convinced that the two songs had to be "Tu Ca Nun Chiagne" and "'Na Sera 'e Maggio." They were listening to the Mario! album after all, and the only two songs that fit that order on the LP and their description are those two. (I suppose one could argue that they could also have been "'Na Sera 'e Maggio" and "Passione," but the latter doesn't quite fit the "sadder" description, and, besides, "Tu Ca Nun Chiagne" contains lyrics of passionate declaration!)

Isn't it depressing to think that this anecdote---from the reminiscences of a few British girls who visited the Villa Badoglio in June 1959---is the only written account of Lanza's feelings about one of his finest achievements?   

Anyway, since you answered that question in (near) record time, let's go straight into another:

What popular Lanza recording contains a retake of a single line that occurs halfway through the song? (And, yes, it's been discussed before, though I don't think it's exactly common knowledge :))

[Derek McGovern]

P.S. Let's make it a condition just for the question above that no one can search this forum for the answer :)

[Derek McGovern]

I've just been asked if I could clarify the latest trivia question, so here goes.

 

I'm looking for a popular Lanza recording on which one line (occurring in the middle of the song) is a retake. In other words, Lanza recorded this particular song (complete), and then went back and did a retake of one line only---and bang in the middle of the song. (And it's a good thing he did too, as the impact of the recording would have otherwise been slightly spoiled. The line comes at a crucial point in the song.)  

 

I would never have guessed there was a retake, as the inserted line sounds quite seamless on the released version. Other Lanza partial retakes, which usually occur at either the beginning or the end of certain songs, are often much more audible :)

 

Does that help?

 

Cheers

Derek     

[Lou]

Derek, this is the first time I did a search through the forum in connection with a trivia question. I already knew the answer from my recollection of the anecdote as you had recounted it in a previous post, but I needed  the date of your post. 

Actually, I'm more inclined to think that playful Mario was just pulling the girls' legs, judging from the speed at which he snapped out of weepy mode at Betty's "Stop it, Mario!" and then shook with laughter at the expressions on the girls' faces. 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lou: You may well be right that "playful Mario" was simply pulling the girls legs when he sobbed during 'Na Sera 'e Maggio. Either that, or he was simply lost in the emotion of the song, and it took Betty's reprimand to snap him out of it. (The way the girls describe it, his sobbing did go for an uncomfortably long time. But you'd never have known with a practical jokester like Lanza.)

Oh, for even just ten minutes' conversation with Lanza about the album---and Caruso Favorites, for that matter! 

                                                                                      ***********************************

No takers for the current trivia question, I see. Is it too difficult, I wonder? Let me make it easier then: it's a celebrated Lanza recording with a very difficult middle section :)

Cheers

Derek  

[Derek McGovern]

I'd mentioned earlier in this thread that there were 27 identified conductors with whom Lanza had worked. Actually, make that 31! I somehow missed several important names in that list I compiled. Not to worry, though: I'm putting together a new page for our main site that'll provide details about all of them, along with information on other musical personalities (coaches, accompanists, etc) with whom Lanza collaborated. (Kind of a "who's who" of Lanza's musical life.) 

Cheers

Derek    

[norma]

Dear Derek,
Is the latest trivia question an E nglish song or an Italian one..?
Norma

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: It's in English.

Guess away!

Cheers
Derek

[norma]

Dear Derek,a blind guess -Because you're Mine

Norma

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: No, it's not "Because You're Mine"---though I wish there had been a retake of the ending on the RCA version of that song! It's the only flaw on an otherwise perfect piece of singing.

I'll give you a clue: your answer wasn't not too far off time-wise :)

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Here's a huge clue: the retake of the line in question on this mystery song contains the word "parade" :)

[Steff]

 

"Song of India"? 

[Derek McGovern]

Yes!!! 

The answer is indeed "Song of India." On the crucial line "See them all parade across the ages," Lanza faltered, as you can hear on the attached mp3, and so he redid that single line, rescuing one of his greatest recordings in the process. (Actually, it's as much a recording problem as it is a Mario flub, as the mike doesn't pick him up properly on that line.)

But who would ever have guessed that there had been a retake of that single line?!

Cheers

Derek

On Wednesday, December 26, 2012 7:29:32 PM UTC+9, Steff wrote:

 

"Song of India"?